Like the many thousands of people across the globe, I have become captivated by the streaming webcam of the Decorah Eagles (In Decorah, Iowa- my home state!). I spent hours on Sunday watching them feed and nestle their chicks and hoping that just maybe, I’ll catch a glimpse of the third chick hatching. These majestic creatures display a tenderness for their fuzzy, adorable eaglets (and the still unhatched egg) that seems almost counter to the strength and power we typically associate with them.

 

I also will admit I spent a little time at work watching the eagles- I happened to look at it just as one of the parents brought home a fresh muskrat (or other brown, furry rodent-thing) for dinner and how excited the little eaglets were to enjoy this fresh meal! It makes me almost giddy to share in this experience with people all over the world and with mama and papa eagle.

 

So you are probably asking, what do eagles in northern Iowa have to do with emergency preparedness in St. Louis? Well, more than you might think. On Sunday evening, one of the little eaglets, just a day old, accidently ended on the edge of the nest. It desperately tried to get back into the main part of the nest and the parent was visibly troubled by the incident. But these eagles, who are experienced parents, stayed calm and figured out how best to nudge that little eagle back into the bowl of the nest. When it happened there were cheers across Facebook.

 

That’s what we have to do when an emergency arises- we may be troubled and scared, but by staying calm and knowing what to do we can take actions to protect ourselves and our loved ones. If you’re not sure what to do in an emergency you can look at our preparedness tips page to find out how!

 

I plan on continuing to watch the eagles over the next several weeks; in just three weeks they will be a foot tall and ready to take their first flight! Over those several weeks, I’ll probably continue to look for emergency preparedness and other life lessons from those eagles, but I’ll probably spend most of that time enjoying the opportunity in getting to watch something so impressive.

 

Elena